Once Upon A Time
by Scarlett Phoenix
Summary: Conrad Hauser tells his children a bedtime story during a power outage.


Disclaimer: All copy-righted materials are owned by other people and/or companies. No profits are made. This is written for entertainment purposes only. Please don't sue!

AN: This ficlet was inspired by a power outage during a late night storm earlier this year. Alexis and Riley Hauser belong to Storm O and are used with her permission. Thank you! Also, much thanks to those who helped me break through a bout of writer's block on this piece. You all are terrific!

**Once Upon A Time**

Conrad and Shana had taken their children, Alexis and Riley, to the St. Louis Zoo to enjoy the breezy, warm Saturday afternoon. Alexis, their four-year-old loved the elephants. It took a lot of persuading, including promising a trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop the next day, to get her to leave the exhibit peacefully. The petite blonde knew exactly what her new buddy would be, a grey elephant dressed in a gi with a yellow belt to match hers. Riley, the almost two-year-old, fell asleep in his stroller after a long, squirming fit.

On the drive home, the Hausers stopped to eat dinner and pick up a few things that Mrs. Falcone's had requested, along with a package of diapers and other necessities. Upon arriving at the Falcone residence that night, Conrad and Shana realized that they had gotten home just in time. The wind began to howl as it blew through the trees and around the house. Mrs. Falcone called to let them know that their flight, the last one of the night, had been cancelled because of the approaching storms and that they would be home sometime the next morning.

Alexis and Riley began to stir from their sleep. A loud thunder crashed, startling the two awaking children, who scurried into their parents' laps. The lights flickered on and off a few times, and each time, Shana wondered out loud if they should get the candles and flashlights. Conrad confidently insisted it would be okay and that the power seemed to be holding out. The weatherman's map showed that they were only being hit by the northernmost part of the storm, but the next storm system threatened to hit them directly and was the one the weathermen were more concerned about. Storm chasers reported seeing several funnel clouds descend from one of the cells in the second line of storms.

The Hausers watched the lightening show through the large bay window. The children were in awe of Mother Nature's small demonstration of the magnificent power she held. Moments later, the lights dimmed for the fifth time that night; however, this time, the struggle for light and dark lasted several seconds before darkness won. Conrad moved Alexis off his lap and placed her next to Shana. He walked into the kitchen where the emergency flashlight was stored and then fumbled for the matches in the upper cabinet. Carrying an armful of candles, Conrad placed them strategically around the house, giving the kitchen, family room, and one of the bathrooms a nice, warm glow.

Conrad and Shana went to the door, noticing that the couple of houses which were across the street were still lit. "It's always our side that loses power," Conrad moaned. He grabbed the battery-powered radio so they could listen for any weather updates.

Planes were grounded and scattered sections of highway were closed because of downed power lines. Miraculously, no major car wrecks were being reported. The weatherman stated that the tornado sirens may be sounded in some areas because of the strong straight-line winds, but nothing tornadic was expected from the current storm system hitting the St. Louis area. The area of concern for the time being was well to the southeast of them and that line of storm cells showed promising signs of weakening. The lightening and power outage were the only things the Hausers would have to deal with that late spring night.

"Well, at least it could rain," Conrad grumbled. It had been a dry year for the entire Midwest. Any amount of rain was greatly appreciated by everyone, especially the farmers. The only crops that were doing moderately well were the ones with manual irrigation systems. The others had nearly dried up.

A couple of faint whines and whimpers caught Conrad and Shana's ears. "Alexis, Riley, it's okay," Shana said in a soothing, calm voice as they went back to the couch to comfort the upset children.

Conrad rubbed Riley's back as he watched Shana maneuver Alexis around her protruding belly. He couldn't believe God was blessing them with yet another child. "How's about a story?" the proud father asked his children.

"Yeah," Alexis cheered as she scooted beside her daddy. Shana readjusted herself on the couch into a more comfortable position, taking Riley from her husband. Alexis finished climbing into her father's lap.

Looking into the doting eyes of her father, Alexis said, "Tell us a story, Daddy."

Riley repeated, "Story, story," while clapping his tiny hands.

Unable to resist his children's request, Conrad chuckled and began, "_Once upon a time in a land far, far away..."_ He paused shortly to make sure his audience was paying attention. Satisfied, he continued, _"...there was a handsome King named Patrick and a very beautiful Queen named Macayle. The King and Queen were very happy and had three strong sons, but, more than anything else, they wanted a daughter." _Conrad smirked, noticing two pairs of bright blue eyes sparkle at him, both anticipating which fairy tale princess story their father was going to tell them.

"_One day, their wish was granted. They named their new bundle of joy, Scarlett, because of her vibrant red hair. The King and Queen adored their baby girl as did the infant's brothers. _

"_Now, Scarlett's birth greatly upset the sixteen-year-old Baroness as the whole land was in awe of the new princess. Up until then, the Baroness had been the center-of-attention of the villagers. She had been the one to whom the villagers and visiting guests bestowed perfume, jewelry, fancy dresses, and other items of tribute. These gifts and attention were now presented to the newborn girl. In a whisper, the Baroness vowed to the baby's face that she would find a way to destroy the King and Queen's precious daughter._

"_A year passed, and, the Royal Castle was busy preparing for Princess Scarlett's first birthday. It was a grand party, with everyone in all the lands being invited. The King and Queen made sure to invite the commoners to Castle events such as these, not having to fear for anything. Any hints of wrong-doing were quickly snuffed out, leaving the Kingdom practically crime-free._

"_At some point during the next sixteen years, the Baroness met with a squid-like, sea-witch named Ursula. She had given…" Conrad stopped when he was interrupted by his four-year-old._

"Daddy, a sea-witch?" Alexis questioned, displaying a look of bewilderment.

Without missing a beat, Conrad replied, "Yes, Alexis. Ursula, you know, from The Little Mermaid, your favorite book." The doting father laughed as he continued, "That bloody blue book you make me read to you over and over again every night." As Alexis rolled her eyes, he pleaded, "Come on, work with me a little," to which his daughter sighed.

"_So, anyways, the Baroness met with Ursula, the sea-witch,"_ Conrad repeated despite Alexis' protests. _"Ursula had the perfect potion for the Baroness, a deep sleep potion, one that would make its victim sleep for an eternity, for which the only cure was true love's first kiss. She warned the potion was extremely potent, and, the victim had to drink it willingly._

"'_Oh, great!' the Baroness muttered. 'How am I supposed to do that?'_

"'_That's not for me to figure out. I only supply the drug,' Ursula stated and pushed the Baroness out the opening of her underwater home."_

Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Conrad stopped once again. "What is it now?" he asked a little frustrated.

"How did the Baroness talk under water?" the inquisitive mind asked.

Conrad looked at Shana in the dim candlelight, his eyes pleading silently for help. Shana simply laughed, "Yes, please do tell, dear. Just how does she manage that?"

"You're just like your mother," the former First Sergeant grumbled under his breath at his daughter. Ignoring both of his women, he returned to his story-telling.

"_The Baroness went home and put the vial on her shelf, saving it for the perfect moment. The plan had to be fail-proof. She lay down on her bed and contemplated a number of different ways to make Princess Scarlett drink the potion. _

_"A few more years passed, and, Princess Scarlett grew into a beautiful, young lady. For her sixteenth birthday, the King and Queen held a ball for her, inviting their alliances and the townspeople once again. Everyone dressed in their finest outfits. Orchestra music, dancing, and cheer filled the castle walls. The royal chefs' creations for the gala were among the best food anyone had ever tasted. Everything was perfect, except for one thing: The Baroness's invitation had fallen out of the courier's bag when his carriage wheel hit a rock and bounced. Thinking all the invitations were delivered, the King and Queen pondered why their distant relative's only daughter never returned the reception card. Deciding it was simply misplaced with the bundles of other cards, they brushed it aside._

_"The guests bowed and curtsied as Princess Scarlett floated down the spiral staircase, donning a custom-made, baby blue gown with glass pumps, loaners from a good friend. Her long, red hair draped down her back in loose curls, framing her slender figure. Tiny blue and white dragonfly clips were placed throughout her hair. She was showered with comments such as 'What a beautiful princess she had grown up to be' and other well-wishes for prosperity, wisdom, happiness, and most importantly, love._

_"Hidden in the balcony from which the princess had descended, a lady dressed in a black, leather suit watched the festivities. The Baroness bore an evil grin as she watched the Lady of Honor drink from her unknowingly tainted glass. The Baroness had arrived just in time to sneak into the kitchen and pour the contents of her aged vial into the Princess' glass. _

_"Soon after she took the drink, Princess Scarlett felt her head spinning in circles. Feeling dizzy, she placed her hand on her forehead as she collapsed. A few of the nearby guests caught the maiden as she fell, gently lying her on the floor. The King and Queen raced to their daughter, closely followed by their sons and the Royal Doctor. The King scooped his lifeless daughter in his arms and carried her to her room._

_"Several minutes later, the Royal Doctor informed that worried family that the patient was fine; however, she was in a deep sleep from which he was unable to awaken her. He wasn't sure how long she would sleep._

_"Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years and family and close friends kept a constant vigil over the sleeping Princess. That was until one day, a handsome, strong, well-mannered, trustworthy, good-looking..."_

"Dad," Alexis interrupted and crossed her arms. "I get the picture."

"Okay, man what a tough audience," Conrad pouted back, playfully crossing his arms as well momentarily.

_"Having heard of Princess Scarlett's amazing beauty, Prince Duke decided to make the long and dangerous journey to win her heart. As he traveled, the valiant prince crossed miles of unforgiving mountains, raging seas, scourging deserts, and even the bitter cold of Antarctica. Along they way, he was forced to battle armies single-handedly, slay fierce, fire breathing dragons, and perform many other acts of good deed."_

"Ugh," Shana muttered, silently wishing the power would hurry up and turn on. She didn't know how much more of her husband's inflated ego she could stand.

"May I please finish this without any further interruptions?" Conrad asked, agitated.

Shana nodded and glanced down to check on Riley, who was sound asleep in her arms.

_"Having arrived at the castle, Prince Duke was greeted by Princess' Scarlett's three brothers. They immediately took a liking to the prince, having already heard of the good things he had done on his journey. Quickly, they rushed him to the throne room and introduce him to their parents. King Patrick and Queen Macayle smiled their approvals and invited the valiant Prince to stay in their castle for the duration of his visit. _

"_Prince Duke explained the purpose of his trek. Sadly, the King told him that four years ago, a spell had been cast on their beloved daughter. She had been ever since._

_"He explained that vigils were kept day and night, praying that their precious daughter would awaken in time to find her true love and be wed on the first new moon after her twenty-first birthday as was their custom. _

_"Prince Duke, disappointed to find his future bride in her sleeping state, asked softly, 'May I see her?'_

_"'Of course, follow me,' the King stated, leading the way to Princess Scarlett's room. He held the door open as the Prince ambled to her bedside. _

_"'She's even more beautiful than I imagined,' Prince Duke's mouth uttered in awe as he knelt beside her. He gently brushed a few strands of hair off her face. His hand caressed her pale cheek. The Prince leaned down, noticing how soft and red her lips were. Instinctively, he lightly brushed his lips against hers, repeating the motion once more. Hoping the kiss would bring her out of the trance as it did a couple of other princesses he had heard of, Prince Duke studied Princess Scarlett's face for any signs of life besides her shallow breathing. Seeing nothing change in her condition, he stood and returned to her family, holding his head down low in disappointment._

_"As the door was being closed, Princess Scarlett gasped for air and stuttered a faint, "Wait," as she struggled to sit up. Prince Sean ran to get the Royal Doctor, while the rest of the family and Prince Duke ran to the bed. _

_"'Princess,' King Patrick cried. 'Did you have a nice nap?' he joked, relieved his daughter was finally awake. The Queen embraced her daughter, too in tears to speak a word. _

_"'What happened?' Princess Scarlett asked, rubbing her eyes. 'I feel like I've been sleeping for years.'_

_"'You have, my dear,' the King answered, looking at the Prince who had saved his youngest child. 'Sire, words cannot express my gratitude for bringing our daughter back to us.'_

_"Prince Duke lowered his head as he approached the lovely maiden and took her hand. He knew from the time he had heard of her that she was made for him. He asked for and was granted the Royal Family's permission to court Princess Scarlett, who provided no objection to the matter. Smiling, Prince Duke tenderly supported her chin with his hand as he leaned towards her. Time seemed to stand still as their lips met for a brief moment._

_"Over the next year, Prince Duke and Princess Scarlett would share many happy adventures. They had forgiven the Baroness for her ploy and befriended her by introducing her to Lord Destro of Scotland. The Baroness was greatly enamored by the Lord, and the couple was soon married, moving to his faraway land. _

_"As for our hero and his Princess, they fell more and more in love with each other every passing day and were married a year later, which happened to be on the first new moon following Princess Scarlett's twenty-first birthday, thus upholding the Royal tradition. And everyone lived happily ever after. The end."_

Finishing his story, Conrad's face glowed as he looked down at Alexis, who had fallen fast asleep in his arms. The couple blew out the candles and carried the children to their rooms, tucking them in for the night. A sleeping Alexis mumbled, "Thank you, Daddy," as she felt him leave a kiss her cheek.

"Sleep tight, Alexis," Conrad replied as he left his daughter's room and found his way to his room.

One final candle glowed in their bedroom, giving Conrad and Shana enough light to change into their pajamas. "This is kind of romantic," Shana said before blowing out the lone flame and climbing into bed.

Conrad spooned next to his wife and wrapped his arm over her side. He carefully tilted her head back and gave her a few gentle kisses. "I love you, Princess Scarlett" he whispered as he caressed her stomach, which hid their latest creation.


End file.
